Page 52 (1/2)

He said the ith a longing that tore at her heart She understood the history, the traditions, the legacy attached to an ancestral hoht to appreciate those who had come before her, those who had paved the way for her faedy struck you," she said quietly "I barely reht have been told What happened to your father?"

"He died when his horse unseated him, but none of us ever believed it was an accident His skull was crushed Uncle said he fell on a rock We always believed Uncle David bashed his head in Then after Father’s funeral, when all the guests had departed, Uncle locked us in the tower"

"Your mother--"

"Died in childbirth"

"Youall alone"

"It inter Bitingly cold We had no light, no blankets No ht"

She realized he didn’t acknowledge her state on around hi within him "How old were you?"

"Fourteen"

"Perhaps another reason proine anyone setting out toour deaths She lived on an adjoining estate She’d coht of the lovely wo with Keswick She couldn’t have been er than they "She helped you escape?"

"Yes"

"I re had happened to the lords of Pembrook I suppose I was about nine at the time"

"What tale did you hear? That ere eaten by wolves, died of the pox, or were stolen by gypsies?"

She skiht of anyone hurting hi that so ory details I rehtht we should all separate Rafe was only ten so we left him at a workhouse I went to the sea Sebastian went to the army We were supposed to return ten years later to reclaie, but war kept him away The sea did the same for me But eventually we met up and the Lords of Peain, he h he’d endured littlenose She cradled his fir that he must have shaved between the tih herShe couldn’t ih s "Only because you’re quite different from everyone else They’re not quite certain what to ive them far too much credit They despise us"